Improve capacity in districts

I CONCUR with the rationale behind your editorial “Remote districts need more funds” in The National on Friday.
However, before more funding is requested, all districts should significantly improve their administrative capacity to be effective and responsive to the challenging times the world over is going through.
In a global environment where resources are scarce amidst growing challenges of diseases, poverty, climate change etc, smart decisions should be made on how to use the limited resources in the districts to continue delivering services to the people.
The global issues are here to stay and we should be realistic and stop asking the Government all the time for more funding.
More funding alone often does not equate to greater levels of service delivery.
This statement can be backed by the fact that despite district funding increases from a mere K500,000 in the 1980s to a whopping K10mil in recent years, many infrastructure and government services in the districts currently have deteriorated to point of no existence, as district and LLG staff moved to towns and cities to wait for their pay.
In light of this scenario, it is time the Government ensure staffing in district and provincial administrations be merit based and be composed of smart resource users who are tertiary qualified instead of “political crony” appointments.
Every district should try to have the right composition of staff with right attitude/qualification to provide the capacity to plan, manage and deliver development goals as captured in their five year development plan.
Having smart district administrators who not only can think creatively but also work hard to deliver the visions of political leaders can be done, as the development framework is already provided in PNG Vision 2050 and cascaded into the five year district development plan.
A case to support this point is where exceptional service delivery work is being done in a planned, integrated manner in Sumkar, Pomio and Yangoru-Saussia districts under the leadership of either first or second term parliamentarians.
In terms of provinces, Enga leads in this regard through the political vision of Sir Peter Ipatas and an effective provincial and district administrations.
The three districts mentioned above used current levels of DSIP funding to deliver high impact community projects despite their remoteness to cities/towns.
MPs Chris Nangoi, Elias Kapavore, Richard Maru and Sir Peter’s exceptional work shows that visionary leadership backed by an effective administration can deliver services using current levels of DSIP/PSIP funding.
These rural districts did not have extra funding.
I would recommend that the Bulolo District administration learn to be humble “public servants” and visit the above districts/province to see first-hand how service delivery is being carried out in an integrated manner without the blame game or lame excuses of heavy rains or increase in alluvial mining for their problems.
The days of “piecemeal” (haphap wok) or band-aid (pasim sua) approach is long gone in administration.
The current global administrative or management practices is more towards integrated planning and effective implementation using limited resources.
It is high time the good MP asks for an independent review of the district administration capabilities and make drastic changes based on performances where necessary to give the district a chance to progress with service delivery alongside potential partners such as PNG Forest Products, Harmony Gold and other state agencies.
Bulolo is blessed with many resources and a host of big companies including soon to start Wafi-Golpu Mine and so the district administration should wake up from its slumber to move progressively forward in partnership with these organisations.
The public are tired of seeing district administration personnel in tinted vehicles driving around aimlessly with no fruit to show from the use of DSIP/SSG funding.
The ball is in the MP’s court to give the district administration a shake-up in order to move the district forward as currently being witnessed in Sumkar, Pomio and Yangoru-Saussia.
If any district should ask for more funding then it would be a no brainer to select these three districts as their DSIP funding is being put to service delivery in a transparent and well integrated manner – that is effective implementation driven by visionary leadership.

Concerned Ples Man